Modern business enterprises must address issues surrounding the business in a systematic, often time-driven, manner. Such business enterprises typically have an organizational structure, often of a hierarchical or matrix form, to define the various groups of individuals responsible for a particular area of the business. Often a particular issue evokes different concerns from different groups, resulting in differing definitions of a problem to be addressed. Further, individuals within the groups may not have the knowledge, or expertise, to effectively address a particular problem or decision, due to factors such as inexperience or lack of longevity in a particular role.
Lines of communication can become blurred when individuals assume they share a common understanding of a problem. The notion of a problem surrounding a complex situation can have different meanings to different groups or individuals within the business enterprise. The term “problem” is often used indiscriminately to define factors such as a complex situation requiring action, a malfunction or error, the cause of a malfunction or error, a difficult choice, or future trouble. Each of these concerns requires different action, yet all elements may be common to a particular situation. Prior to implementing action, such a situation must be broken down into a manageable set of issues which require action, and which can be verified as the correct set of issues which will resolve the situation.
Effectively addressing the issues presented by such a complex situation, therefore, requires clarification of the exact issues to be acted upon. However, as indicated above, different groups and/or individuals have different needs, and each may have a different definition of the problem, depending on how the complex situation affects the responsibilities of that group and/or individual. Further, employment terminations, transfers, and organizational changes can result in a lack of individuals with expertise and experience concerning such a complex situation. Such factors can cause a business enterprise to implement ineffective actions, perform duplicative acts, or even to implement actions which exacerbate the situation.
It would be beneficial to provide a computer software program adapted to provide an interactive interface to receive information surrounding such a complex situation, display such information in a format which allows the user to refine issues in a stepwise manner, and store such information, including both the solution or resolution and the thought processes that created them, for subsequent query and retrieval by multiple users for addressing future such complex situations.